Follower for file trays



Oct. 26, 1954 J. w. KENT 2,692,601

FOLLOWER FOR FILE TRAYS Filed Jan. 26, 1951 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,2? ,22 35 2E 23 3rwentor 2 .Jolmlf n? (Ittorn Oct. 26, 1954 J w KENT FOLLOWER FOR FILE TRAYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1951 Zhmentor Joim fllifeni' mt meg Patented Oct. 25, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE FOLLOWER FOR FILE TRAYS John W. Kent, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand line, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to filing equipment and is particularly concerned. with such equipment in which cards, papers and the like are filed vertically in drawers or trays.

The invention comprehends the provision in a file drawer or tray of the character described of a support or follower for the contents thereof which may be easily moved longitudinally within the drawer to hold the contents in an upright position therein.

The invention further comprehends the provision in a vertical filing tray or drawer of the character described of a follower which utilizes the minimum amount of filing space.

Still further comprehended by the invention is the provision in a vertical file tray or drawer of the character described, of a follower or support which is very convenient to use and which may be readily adjusted to occupy various positions within said tray to accommodate the requirements of use.

The invention is also intended to provide a follower for a vertical file tray or drawer of the character described which is of simple, durable construction and which has a manually releasable latch comprising a minimum number of parts.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, vertical cross section taken on line 1-! of Fig. 2 of a file drawer containing the novel follower of the present invention, the follower being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical cross section taken on line 2-2 of the file tray shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of the card file tray shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with a portion of the follower and the operating mechanism therefor shown in section; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4- -3 of Fig. 3 which shows more clearly the construction of the following operating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the file tray or drawer illustrated therein comprises a front l I formed of a metal sheet, the top of which is bent outwardly at E2 to form a hand grip for convenient use in lifting the tray and which is provided with rearwardly extending flanges l3 on each side thereof. There is also provided a rearwardly extending flange it on the bottom of the front l E. An inner front comprising a transversely arranged metal plate I! is carried by the front ii. The plate ii is bent at its upper end forwardly and upwardly to provide a horizontal 2 ledge l3 and a vertical flange [9. The latter is attached to the inner face of the front H by suitable means, such as welding. The lower end of the inner front I7 is spaced inwardly from the front II and extends to the bottom of the tray.

The body of the file tray or drawer shown in the drawings is preferably formed of a sheet of thin metal bent and formed to provide spaced upright sides 2| which are connected by a bottom portion 22. The bottom 22 includes spaced depending longitudinal side channels 23 which serve as runners for the tray or drawer and a centrally located depending channel portion 24 which extends longitudinally the full length of the drawer.

The upright sides 2| of the body portion are provided with retroverted edges 26 which stiffen the sides and eliminate roughness at the tops thereof. The side flanges I3 of the front H are secured to the forward ends of the sides 25 preferably by welding and the flange M is preferably tack welded to the centrally located longitudinal channel 25 of the bottom 22. The back (not shown) of the tray or drawer may be formed substantially identically with the front and may be secured to the sides 2i and bottom 22 of the bodyportion of the tray by means identical with or similar to those just described.

The follower of the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 29, is removably mounted in the file tray or drawer for movement longitudinally therein and is adapted to be selectively positioned in convenient locations in the tray to hold the filed cards upright. The follower 29 comprises an L-shaped carriage 3! which has a horizontally disposed leg 32 and a substantially vertically disposed leg 33. The carriage 3| is reduced in width, as indicated by the numeral 34, adjacent the juncture of the legs 32 and 33.

The horizontal leg 32 of the follower carriage 3| is slidably received in an elongated metal track 36 which is substantially U-shaped and is riveted, Welded or otherwise rigidly mounted in the 1ongitudinally extending channel 24 in the bottom of the filing tray. The side edges of the track 35 are bent inwardly above the leg 32 to provide horizontal flanges 3i and 38 which preferably lie substantially in the same plane as the bottom 22 of the tray and prevent upward movement of the leg. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the track 38 preferably does not extend for the full length of the centrally located, longitudinal channel 24, the space between the front end of the track 36 and the drawer front permittin the follower carriage 3| to be inserted in or removed from the track as desired. The narrow portion 34 of the carriage is accommodated between the flanges 31 and 38.

An upright follower plate 42 is rigidly attached to the inner face of vertical leg 33 of carriage 3| by suitable means such as riveting or welding, the upper end of plate 42 being bent to form a flange 13 extending rearwardly over leg 33. A stud 44 is firmly secured, as by riveting, on vertical leg 33 of the follower carriage with the enlarged head 46 projecting rearwardly from the carriage. A follower latch lever 48 having horizontal arm 49 and depending vertical arm 50 is pivotally supported intermediate the ends of arm 49 on stud 44 for pivotal movement in a plane transverse of the file tray or drawer. The lower end of the vertical arm 50 of latch lever 48 is adapted for engagement between the longitudinally spaced, horizontally extending teeth 52 formed in the edge of flange 3! of track 36. The horizontal arm 49 of the latch lever is provided on the end thereof above depending arm 58 with a horizontal, rearwardly projecting tab or lug 53. On the other end of arm 49 there is provided a vertical, rearwardly extending tab or lug 54.

The follower 29 is also provided with a latch release or actuator 51 which may be formed of sheet metal and which has its upper end extending through and loosely fitting in a slot in flange 43 of follower plate 42. A joggle 58 is provided in latch actuator 51 to space the lower end thereof rearwardly of the vertical leg 33 of follower carriage 3|. Below the joggle 58 the lower end of latch release 57 is reduced in width and, adjacent the bottom thereof, is provided with a vertically extending slot 59 through which stud 44 extends. The latch actuator or release has limited vertical movement with respect to the stud and carriage 3|. Adjacent the lower end of latch release 51 but spaced upwardly from slot 58 there is a shoulder 6| formed with a rounded cam surface 62. The cam 62 is located vertically above horizontal lug 53 provided on horizontal arm is of latch lever 68 and is adapted to engage lug 53 when latch release 51 moves downwardly and thus to cause pivotal movement of the latch lever.

A coiled tension spring B l having one end removably engaged with a rearwardly extending tab 55 formed in the lower edge of follower plate 42 and the other end thereof removably engaged in the vertically arranged lug 54 provided on horizontal arm 49 of latch lever 48 serves resiliently to resist pivotal movement of lever :18. The length of the slot 59 is such that when lever 48 has its arm 39 in horizontal position and its depending arm 59 in vertical position and engaged between adjacent teeth 52 of track 36, lug 53 supports latch release 57 at the upper limit of its movement. Consequently, downward movement of latch actuator to the lower limit permitted by slot 53 causes pivotal movement of latch lever 48 on stud 44 against the resistance of spring 56 and causes arm 50 to be disengaged from teeth 52. Preferably, the top of latch release El is bent over as shown at 38 to provide a broad surface for actuation by the finger or hand to release the latch lever.

The use or operation of the novel follower of the present invention may be briefly described. As pointed out above, follower 29 may be removably placed in the file tray or drawer by inserting the carriage 3| in the forward end of track 36.

Referring to Fig. 2, when latch release 51 is moved downwardly to the limit permitted by slot 59, as indicated by the broken lines, the rounded cam surface 62 in contact with lug 53 causes pivotal movement of latch lever 48 against the resistance of spring 64 into the position shown in broken lines with the vertical depending arm 5|) of the latch lever moving toward the center of channel 24. When the-parts occupy the positions shown by the broken lines in Fig. 2, the follower may be moved forward or backward in the file tray to any desired position. Upon release of latch actuator 57, latch lever 48 is restored to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 by the tension of spring 53 and the latch release 51 is moved upwardly by reason of the contact of lug 53 with shoulder 6| of the latch actuator. In the position last described, the arm 59 engages between adjacent teeth 52 and the follower is securely held in the selected location.

The latch lever lB-and latch release 5? are held in position on carriage 3| by means of stud M, the enlarged head 46. of which prevents displacement of the parts. The only other moving part of follower 29 is the coiled tension spring 64 conveniently located so as to be easily replaced if required. The follower plate 42, as will be seen from the drawings, provides a large supporting area for the cards or papers stored in the file drawer as its width is preferably only slightly less. than the width between the sides 2| of the drawer and it preferably extends from substantially the bottom of the drawer to at least the top of the sides. A hole 89 is provided through leg 33.0f carriage 3| and the follower plate 42 near the bottom of the latter so a guide rod may be inserted in the drawer.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the improved file follower of the present invention is simple in construction and convenient and effective in operation. The follower may be used in files of various sizes'and may constructed of any appropriate materials although it is preferred to form the carriage 31, the latch lever, and the latch release ofsuitable sheet metal.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a file drawer for cards, papers and the like having a bottom provided with a longitudinal channel and a track in said channel having a plurality of longitudinally spaced teeth, a follower comprised of an L-shaped carriage having one arm slidable in said channel and the other arm extending upward from said channel, a vertical transversely extending follower plate having a rearwardly projecting flange on the upper margin, a stud extending rearwardly from said carriage, a follower latch lever pivoted on said stud, said lever having a depending arm engaging said teeth in one position, a spring actuating said lever and resiliently holding said depending arm in engagement with said teeth, a latch release having a vertically extending slot in the lower portion having said stud projecting therethrough and slidably mounting said latch release and having an upper portion slidably engaged through a slot in said rearwardly projecting flange, a cam surface on said latch release at the lower end thereof, a lug on said latch lever engaged by said cam surface on said latch release and operable in downward movement of said latch release to' move said latch lever on said stud to disengage saiddepending arm from said teeth.

2. A followerfor file drawers, comprising a follower plate having a rearwardly projecting fiange on an upper portion thereof and means on the lower portion slidably mounting said plate in a file drawer, a latch lever formed with angularly extending arms one of which is substantially horizontal, pivot means connected to a central portion of said horizontal arm pivotally mounting said latch lever on said follower plate below said flange, said latch lever having the other arm formed on one end of said horizontal arm and positioned for engagement with complementary portions on a file drawer for retaining said follower in adjusted position against movement in the drawer, a lug projecting from said first mentioned end of the first mentioned arm of said latch lever, means operating on the opposite end of said first mentioned arm and on the opposite side of said pivot from said lug normally moving said latch lever into follower latching position, and a latch release strip slidably mounted on said follower plate by said rearwardly projecting flange and the pivot means for said latch lever and having a cam portion engaging on one side of said pivot means said lug operable upon downward movement of said latch release strip to move said latch lever into follower release position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name V Date 1,610,710 Schade Dec. 14, 1926 1,948,451 Wolters Feb. 20, 1934 2,312,742 Andersen Mar. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 326,695 Italy 1935 

